1. Field of the Related Art
The present disclosure relates to a blind aid device employing motion detection, image recognition, and voice recognition capabilities.
2. Background of the Related Art
People without the sense of sight live in a difficult world. The simple act of walking from one place to another becomes difficult and often dangerous. Walking canes and seeing-eye dogs are helpful for avoiding some obstacles, but do not solve the larger problem of navigation and situational-awareness (e.g., there is a window on the left, a table on the right, there is a bus approaching, etc.). Reading signs and printed materials present additional problems. People who are blind rely heavily on their auditory senses to make sense of the world's ongoings, especially in an urban environment.
According to statistics, over 1.1 million people in the United States are legally blind, and at least an additional 10 million have vision conditions which are not correctable by glasses. A great deal of research has been focused on finding ways to aid the blind in “reading” and “seeing.” In addition to more familiar techniques such as Braille, substantial work has been done in presenting printed materials to the blind in the form of coded sounds. Generally speaking, devices of this type, often called optophones, convert a light image of the material to be “read” into a corresponding electrical signal using optical-electronic transducers such as photo-cells. This electrical signal is used to control the output of a variable frequency oscillator or oscillators so that a distinctive tone is generated.
Thus, for someone who is completely unable to use a normal screen or read a printed text, there are two alternatives: Braille reading or speech. Currently available assistance for blind and visually impaired people comprises a wide range of technical solutions, including document scanners and enlargers, interactive speech software and cognitive tools, screen reader software and screen enlargement programs. Moreover, cell phones remain an important part of blind peoples' lives, in spite of their disabilities.